


At the Beach

by flippyspoon



Series: Brightonverse [9]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 10:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2618810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippyspoon/pseuds/flippyspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Careful, Thomas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At the Beach

Thomas did not swim in the ocean often, but when he did he often became distracted by the novelty of plunging under the waves. He’d end up straying far from shore- and from Jimmy- as he dove under. His bathing suit was heavy though, and it was easy to get dragged down.  
Like now, on this otherwise relaxing sunny day at the beach, when the tide pulled at him and his cigarette-weakened lungs felt fit to burst. He swam for his life, trying to move sideways with the tide, and then diagonally. But the waves fought him and he tumbled over and over. Lucky for him, he was tumbling toward the shore and finally found himself on all fours in the shallow waters. He sprang to his feet, gasping and coughing up saltwater, and feeling undignified as he pushed his hair back. He took a good minute to catch his breath and leaned over, his hands on his knees.  
“Thomas!” The sun was in his eyes but he certainly heard Jimmy. “Thomas! Thomas!”  
There he was, running like mad down the sand. Thomas hadn’t even realized he had strayed so far. He was nearer some rocks and well away from the other beach-goers.  
“I couldn’t see you for the longest time, I thought you’d drowned!” Jimmy stopped in front of him, his eyes wide with panic. “Don’t do that!”  
“Sorry, I got pulled away, I s’pose,” Thomas said.  
“I told you to be careful,” Jimmy said, giving him a shove. “Let’s go home. I’m done in.”  
They dried off a bit and put on their trousers and shoes- trousers with bathing suits being a common enough sight along the beach at Brighton. Thomas chattered on about a new band playing at the Moon Cat, but Jimmy was silent all the way home.  
“Sooo,” Thomas went on, “Schiller should be happy with it. They’re trying to make a name for themselves…they’d work for peanuts and beer.”  
Thomas stretched and rubbed his eyes in the middle of their parlor once he’d closed the door behind them and then Jimmy’s arms were around his waist, his damp head pressed against Thomas’s chest.  
“Oh, hello,” Thomas mumbled, tittering.  
“You gave me a fright,” Jimmy said. “Don’t do that. You’ve got to be careful.”  
Jimmy squeezed him harder and Thomas wrapped his arms around him- he was still wet in his suit. “Oh… Well, I’m sorry.”  
“S’okay,” Jimmy muttered. And he kissed Thomas’s neck. “Just don’t do that again.”  
“I’ll be very careful.” Thomas kissed hair and his cheek.   
“Good.” Jimmy pulled away but gave Thomas a long salty kiss on the lips. His expression shifted into false bravado. “I try to care of ya, but I can’t be everywhere, ya know. So watch yourself.”  
“Yes, sir,” Thomas said.  
“Now for dinner…” Jimmy said, clearing his throat and wandering into the kitchen.   
Thomas watched Jimmy putter about the kitchen looking for the last of the roast beef for sandwiches as he babbled, attempting to cover his own outburst of emotion. Thomas slipped his hands in his pockets and smiled, not giving a thought to the water dripping all over his nice rented rug.


End file.
